Expansible structure



- Nov. 21, 1967 c, MccLURE ET AL 3,353,311

EXPANSIBLE STRUCTURE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 14, 1965 mm; mL am M C W 5M 2 V THOMAS P. MAHOA/EY A rroeuzy L. c. MCCLURE ET AL 3,353,311

EXPANS IBLE STRUCTURE Nov. 21, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 36 Fra.

Filed May 14, 1965 INVENTORS Lows 61 Mc CLURE, VERA/01V H. DA ws 77/0/1445 F MAHOA/EV Arman/5y Nov. 21, 1967 MCCLURE ET AL 3,353,311

EXPANSIBLE STRUCTURE Filed May 14, 1965 a Sheets-Sheet a FIG. 2

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VERA/0N h. DA W5 5) THOMAS P? MA HONEY A770EA/E) United States Patent Ofilice 3,353,3 1 i Patented Nov. 21, 1957 3,353,311 EXPANSIBLE STRUCTURE Louis C. McClure and Vernon H. Davis, Palmdale, Calif, assignors of thirty-three and one-third percent to Billy A. Couch, Lancaster, Calif.

Filed May 14, 1965, Ser. No. 455,796 11 Claims. (CI. 52-66) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A central floor section has retractable floor sections pivotally connected to side edges thereof, said retractable floor sections having the free edges thereof, in turn, pivotally connected to lower edges of upwardly and inwardly extending sidewall-roof sections. Upper edges of the sidewall-roof sections are also pivotally connected and the end extremities thereof overlie and move relative to opposed, upright end walls mounted rigid on the central floor section. Rigid overlapping wings are formed on the sidewall-roof sections, or flexible diaphragms between said sections and the end walls, for maintaining closure at said end walls despite expansion and retraction of the various movable sections.

This invention relates to an expansible structure and, more particularly, to an expansible structure adapted to be utilized in a wide variety of applications such as the typical camper, trailer, or other mobile unit. The teachings of the invention are, of course, applicable to structures intended for a wide variety of uses, such as construction offices, mobile emergency enclosures, military field units, and the like.

Many other applications for the expansible structure of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, since the inherent mode of assembly of the various components of the structure permit it to be readily transported from one site to another, and to be readily expanded or retracted with a minimum expenditure of time and energy.

It is, therefore, an object of our invention to provide an expandable structure which incorporates a pair of combination sidewall-roof units which may be fabricated in any one of a wide variety of configurations, such as an A frame configuration, a mansard or hip roof configuration, or the typical arcuate configuration made familiar to those skilled in the art by the Quonset hut, said sidewall-roof sections being operatively connected to each other at their abutting apexes for movement relative to each other between expanded or retracted conditions or positions.

Another object of our invention is the provision of an expansible structure of the aforementioned character wherein the expansible sidewall sections are operatively connected at their lower extremities to movable floor sections, and said movable floor sections have their opposed edges secured for movement to a non-movable, substantially rigid central floor section. End wall sections are provided and secured to the opposite extremities of the central floor section.

Another object of our invention is the provision, in a structure of the aforementioned character, of means for accomplishing the expansion or retraction of said structure, such as manually operated jacks or hydraulically operated jacks, whose movement is synchronized so that the expansion or retraction of the various components of the structure is simultaneously accomplished to a corresponding degree.

Still another object of our invention is the provision, in a structure of the aforementioned character, of guide means between the associated sidewall sections and end wall sections which prevent the sidewall sections from becoming disoriented with respect to said end wall sections.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawings, which are for the purpose of illustra tion only, and in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the expandable structure of our invention disposed in expanded condition and utilized in a trailer configuration in which the expandable structure is mounted upon a conventional mobile trailer frame;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the structure shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the structure in its retracted condition;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the structure in its expanded condition;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the connection between the sidewall section, retractable fioor section and central floor section; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing alternative means for accomplishing the expansion or retraction of the structure of the invention.

FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 illustrate a modification with flexible wing portions.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. l4 thereof, we show an expandable structure 19, constructed in accordance with the teachings of our invention and utilized as a trailer mounted upon a conventional trailer frame 12 incorporating wheels 14 to facilitate its transportation from one location to another.

As previously indicated, the structure of the invention is designed to be utilized in a wide variety of applications, and the disclosure thereof in the form of a trailer is not intended to have limiting implications, but is merely utilized as a convenient mode of exemplifying the construction and operation of the expandable structure of the invention.

The structure 10 includes a centrally located, nonmovable fioor section 16 of any desired configuration. The centrally located floor section 16 is supported upon transverse beams 18 of the trailer frame 12 and, thus, the beams 13 constitute a structural component of the centrally located floor section 16 since they constitute support for the same. It is not intended that the term centrally located floor section be limited to the wood or other material utilized as the floor panel.

Operatively connected for movement with respect to the lateral edges of the centrally located floor section 16 are expandable side or lateral floor sections 20 which, when disposed in the retracted position shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings, are located in vertical orientations. In the present embodiment of the invention, the operative connection of the side floor sections 20 to the centrally located floor section 16 is by means of hinges 22 in which, as best shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings, one leaf 24 is connected to the adjacent edge of the associated lateral floor section 29 and the other leaf 26 is connected to the adjacent extremity of a transverse beam 18 of the trailer frame 12. However, the hin es can be connected directly to the lateral edges of the wooden or other panel constituting the centrally located floor section 16 and, in any event, since the transverse beams 18 constitute part of the centrally located fioor section 16, the expandable, lateral floor sections 20 are operatively connected for movement by the hinges 22 to said centrally located floor section 16.

The outermost edges of the expandable floor sections 261* are connected, as 'best shown in FIG. 5 of the drawings, by means of hinges 28 to the lower edges 3ft of a combination sidewall-roof 32.

Consequently, two sidewall-roof sections 32 are provided which, as previously indicated, may be formed in any desired configuration and which have their abutting apexes 34, FIGS. 3-4, operatively connected to each other for relative movement by means of hinges 36. It will be noted that a plurality of hinges 22, 28, and as is shown in the drawings for operatively connecting the various movable components of the expandable structure to one another, but it will, of course, be obvious to those skilled in the art that a single hinge may be utilized or that alternative modes of pivotal connection may be substituted for the hinge structures without departing from the teachings of the invention.

Illustrative of our position in this regard is the fact that the various components could be constructed with adjacent edges directly connected to each other by a pivot pin, or the like, without utilizing conventional hinge structures of any kind whatsoever. In any event, the abutting apexes 34 of the sidewall-roof sections 32 are covered by a sealing element 38 to prevent the infiltration of air and moisture between said abutting apexes. The elongated sealing, element 38 may be fabricated from any conventional material, such as rubber, rubber impregnated fabric, vinyl, or other types of plastic materials.

Another factor which should be adverted to here is the concept of complete dismantling of the structure by the removal of the hinge pins from the associated hinges to permit the expandable floor sections 20 and the sidewallroof sections 32 to be dismounted from operative relationship with each other to facilitate the transportation of the structure in a completely dismounted condition, and in a resultingly small container.

A pair of end wall sections .0 and 42 is secured at opposite extremities of the centrally located floor section.16. The end wall sections 4% and 42 may be fixedly connected to the associated extremities of the centrally located floor section in or may be connected thereto at their lower extremities by means of hinges 46 to permit the floor sections to be folded into overlying relationship with the centrally located floor section 16 when the operative components of the structure 10 are dismounted from operative relationship with each other. The end wall section 40 constitutes the front wall of the structure and incorporates a window 48, while the end wall section 42 constitutes the rear wall of the structure and incorporates a Dutch door 52 constituted of an upper section 54 and a lower section 56. Consequently, the lower section 56 may be open when the structure it) is in the collapsed position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings to facilitate entry into the interior of the structure, while the upper section 54 of the Dutch door 52 remains closed. Windows 64 may be provided in desired locations in the sidewall-roof sections 32, as best shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings.

Guide means 76 is provided on each of the end walls 40 and 42 and serves, as best shown in FIGS. 3-4 of the drawings, to also inter-connect the apexes 34 of the sidewall-roof sections 32 and the corresponding apexes of the end walls 4% and 42 in operative relationship with one another. In the present embodiment of the invention, the guide means includes an elongated socket 72 having a guide bar 74 slidable therein, said guide bar being connected to the adjacent hinge pin of the juxtaposed hinge 36. Therefore, as the sections 32 are raised or lowered, the guide bars 74 are correspondingly raised or lowered to guide the apexes 34 of the sections 32 with reference to the end walls 40 and 42.

It will, of course, be obvious to those skilled in the art that the configuration and size of the end walls 40 and 42 must correspond to the configuration and size of the collapsed extremities of the sidewall-roof sections 32, as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings. Therefore, when the sidewall-roof sections are expanded, a resulting perimetrical gap between the continguous edges of the end walls 40 and 42 and the corresponding extremities of the sidewall-roof sections 32 will occur. To avoid this possibility, the extremities of the sidewall-roof sections 32 are provided with wings 78, as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, which overlie the corresponding perimetrical edges of the end walls 45* and 42 when the structure 16 is disposed in the expanded condition.

While we have disclosed the provision of relatively rigid wings 78 on the sidewall-roof sections 32, it would be feasible to utilize diaphragms 79 as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 consisting of flexible material, such as canvas, rubberized fabric, or the like, which would expand automatically when the structure 10 is expanded and correspondingly collapse automatically when the structure is returned to the retracted condition.

Although it is conceivable that hand operated, screwtype jack means may be utilized to expand the structure it it is also feasible to utilize a pair of hydraulic jacks 80, which may be connected to a suitable source of hydraulic fluid to cause the simultaneous extension or retraction of the. piston rods 82' thereof. The hydraulic jacks 80 are connected, as best shown in FIGS. 34 of the drawings, between the centrally located floor section 16 and the sidewall-roof sections 32 to expand or retract the structure it When the structure 10 is being towed on a highway, the sidewall-roof sections 32 and the side floor sections 20 will be disposed in the positions shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings, wherein the side floor sections 20' are disposed in vertical positions in corresponding parallelism with the lower extremities of the sidewall-roof sections 32 and, thus, the width of the. structure It} is considerably reduced to an extent equivalent to the combined width of the side floor sections 20.

When the desired location has been reached, the hydraulic jacks 80 are energized to project the piston rods 82 thereof and cause outward and upward movement of the sidewall-roof sections 32 and corresponding outward and upward movement of the expandable floor sections 20' into substantial parallelism with the centrally located floor section 16, as best shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings.

During the movement of the floor sections 20 and the sidewall-roof sections 32 into the expanded position, the guide bar 74 is gradually moved upwardly in the elongated socket 72 of the guide means 70-, thus serving both to guide the apexes 34 of the sections 32 in a straight line and to inter-connect the upper extremities of the end walls 44} and 42 with the adjacent extremities of the sidewall-roof section 32'.

The movement of the side floor sections 2t} into their horizontal position will add as much space to the interior of the structure 10' as the combined width of the floor sections 2t), a factor which is determined by the desired ultimate width of the structure It The piston rods 82 may be locked in the extended positions, shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings, by conventional means, such as a pin, or the like.

An alternative form of guide means is shown fragmentarily in FIG. 6 of the drawings as including a hydraulic jack 92 incorporating a piston rod 9'4 whose upper extremity is connected to the hinge pin 96 of a hinge 98 connecting the apexes of the sidewall-roof sections 32 in operative relationship with each other. The hydraulic jack 92 is connected in series with the jacks 80 and, when the jacks 80 are correspondingly energized, raises the apexes 34 of the sidewall-roof sections 32.

Therefore, in addition to performing the guiding function of the guide means 7 it, the guide means 90 also serves the auxiliary function of aiding the expansion or retraction of the structure 19.

It should also be pointed out that, where rigid wings 78 are utilized, appropriate sealing means may be provided between the associated end walls and the wings 78 to prevent the infiltration of air and moisture into the interior of the structure 10. Another aspect of the structure 10 is the fact that, because of its reduced size in the retracted condition, it presents less wind resistance than similar conventional structures when it is towed behind another vehicle in the trailer configuration or mounted on a truck in the camper configuration.

We thus provide by our invention an expandable structure which is characterized by the minimal number of parts incorporated therein and by the ease with which it may be expanded or retracted by associated hand or hydraulically operated jacks. When the structure is in the expanded condition the expanded lateral floor sections serve as compression members between the lower extremities of the sidewall-roof sections and the centrally located floor section and, thus, serve materially to rigidify the entire structure.

Although the invention has been herein shown and described in what are conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiments thereof, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein, but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent struc tures and devices.

We claim:

1. In an expansible structure adapted to be transported in retracted condition and expanded when located at a desired site, the combination of: a central floor section; retractable, lateral floor sections hingedly connected to opposite edges of said central floor section; retractable, sidewall-roof sections having their lower extremities hingedly connected to the adjacent edges of said lateral floor sections and their apexes hingedly connected to each other; end wall sections operatively connected to the opposite extremities of said central floor section; and diaphragm means operatively connected to the opposite extremities of said sidewall-roof sections and disposed in operative relationship with said end wall sections to cover the space between said end wall sections and the corresponding extremities of said sidewall-roof sections when said sidewall-roof sections are moved into expanded positions.

2. In an expansible structure adapted to be transported in retracted condition and expanded when located at a desired site, the combination of: a central floor section; retractable, lateral floor sections hingedly connected to opposite edges of said central fioor section; retractable, sidewall-roof sections having their low-er extremities hingedly connected to the adjacent edges of said lateral floor sections and their apexes hingedly connected to each other; end wall sections operatively connected to the opposite extremities of said central floor section; diaphragm means operatively connected to the opposite extremities of said sidewall-roof sections and disposed in operative relationship with said end wall sections to cover the space between said end wall sections and the corresponding extremities of said sidewall-roof sections when said sidewall-roof sections are moved into expanded positions; and guide means operatively interconnecting said end wall sections and said sidewall-roof sections for guiding said sidewall-roof sections during the movement thereof into expanded or retracted positions.

3. In an expansible structure, the combination of: a centrally located floor section; a pair of normally retracted, normally vertically downwardly extending floor sections pivotally connected at normally upper end thereof to opposite edges of said central floor section and being movable from said retracted, vertical orientation into expanded horizontal orientations and parallelism with said central floor section to form expanded edge continuatlons of said central floor section; a pair of sidewall-roof sections pivotally connected at their lower edges to normally lower and expanded outer edges of said retractable floor sections and at'abutting apexes to each other, said sidewall-roof sections being pivotal between inward retracted and outward expanded positions; a pair of opposed end walls operatively connected upright to opposite end extremities of said central floor section; and means associated with certain of said sidewall-roof sections and said end walls to automatically cover space created between said end walls and the corresponding extremities of said sidewall-roof sections when said sidewall roof sections are moved to said outward expanded positions.

4. An expansible structure as defined in claim 3 in which said space covering means includes wing means secured to said sidewall-roof sections extending inwardly therefrom adjacent and overlapping said end walls, said wing means maintaining a part of said overlapped relationship in said sidewall-roof section outward expanded positions.

5. An expansible roof structure as defined in claim 3 in which guide means operatively interconnects said end walls and said sidewall-roof sections for guiding said sidewall-roof sections during the movement thereof between expanded and retracted positions, said guide means permitting upward movement of said sidewall-roof sections relative to said end walls during movement of said sidewall-roof sections into said expanded positions.

6. An expansible roof structure as defined in claim 3 in which guide means operativcly interconnects said end walls and said sidewall-r0of sections for guiding said sidewall-roof sections during the movement thereof between expanded and retracted positions, said guide means permitting upward movement of said sidewall-roof sections relative to said end walls during movement of said sidewall-roof sections into said expanded positions; and in which said space covering means includes wing means secured to said sidewall-roof sections extending inwardly therefrom adjacent and overlapping said end walls, said wing means maintaining a part of said overlapped relationship in said sidewall-roof section outward expanded positions.

7. In an expansible structure, the combination of: a centrally located fioor section; a pair of normally retracted, normally vertically downwardly extending floor sections pivotally connected at normaily upper ends there of to opposite edges of said central floor section and being movable from said retracted, vertical orientation into ex panded horizontal orientations and parallelism with said central floor section; a pair of sidewall-roof sections pivotally connected at their lower edges to normally lower and expanded outer edges of said retractable floor sections and at abutting apexes to each other, said sidewall-roof sections being pivotal between inward retracted and outward expanded positions; a pair of opposed end walls operatively connected upright to opposite end extremities of said central floor section; means associated with certain of said sidewall-roof sections and said end walls to automatically cover space created between said end walls and the corresponding extremities of said sidewall-roof sections when said sidewall-roof sections are moved to said outward expanded positions; and selectively operable expansible and contractible means for pivoting said sidewall-roof sections to raise and lower said sidewall-roof sections with respect to said central floor section to cause the concomitant raising and lowering of said retractible floor sections to dispose the structure, respectively, in the expanded and retracted conditions.

8. An expansible structure as defined in claim 7 in which said selectively operable expansible and contractible means includes fluid cylinder means operably connected between said sidewall-roof sections and said central floor section.

9. An expansible structure as defined in claim 7 in which said space covering means includes wing means secured to said sidewall-roof sections extending inwardly therefrom adjacent and overlapping said end walls, said wing means maintaining a part of said overlapped relationship in said sidewall-roof section outward expanded positions.

10. An expansible roof structure as defined in claim 7 in which guide means operatively interconnects said end walls and said sidewall-roof sections for guiding said sidewall-roof sections during the movement thereof be- 7 tween expanded and retracted positions, said guide means permitting upward movement of said sidewall-roof sections relative to said end walls during movement of said sidewall-roof sections into said expanded position.

11. An expansible roof structure as defined in claim 7 in which guide means operatively interconnects said end walls and said sidewall-roof sections for guiding said sidewall-roof sections during the movement thereof between expanded and retracted positions, said guide means permitting upward movement of said sidewall-roof sections relative to said end walls during movement of said sidewall roof sections into said expanded positions; and in which said space covering means includes wing means References Cited- UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1956 Couse 52--66 11/1966 Alarie 296-23 JOHN E. MURTAGH, Primary Examiner. 

7. IN AN EXPANSIBLE STRUCTURE, THE COMBINATION OF: A CENTRALLY LOCATED FLOOR SECTION; A PAIR OF NORMALLY RETRACTED, NORMALLY VERTICALLY DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING FLOOR SECTIONS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT NORMALLY UPPER ENDS THEREOF TO OPPOSITE EDGES OF SAID CENTRAL FLOOR SECTION AND BEING MOVABLE FROM SAID RETRACTED, VERTICAL ORIENTATION INTO EXPANDED HORIZONTAL ORIENTATIONS AND PARALLELISM WITH SAID CENTRAL FLOOR SECTION; A PAIR OF SIDEWALL-ROOF SECTIONS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT THEIR LOWER EDGES TO NORMALLY LOWER AND EXPANDED OUTER EDGES OF SAID RETRACTABLE FLOOR SECTIONS AND AT ABUTTING APEXES TO EACH OTHER, SAID SIDEWALL-ROOF SECTIONS BEING PIVOTAL BETWEEN INWARD RETRACTED AND OUTWARD EXPANDED POSITIONS; A PAIR OF OPPOSED END WALLS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED UPRIGHT TO OPPOSITE END EXTREMITIES OF SAID CENTRAL FLOOR SECTION; MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH CERTAIN OF SAID SIDEWALL-ROOF SECTIONS AND SAID END WALLS TO AUTOMATICALLY COVER SPACE CREATED BETWEEN 